Counter for tobacco-wrappers.



x D. STRASSER.

COUNTER FOR TOBACCO WRAPPERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1912.

Patented May 13, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DA ID TBASSEB, NEW OR N- Y- COUNTER FOR TOBACCO-.WRAPPERS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Davin, STRASSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counters for Tobacco-l/Vrappers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tobacco wrapper counting device and its novelty consists in the construction and adaptation of the parts, as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out.

In the present state of cigar manufacture, after the tobacco leaves have been stripped, they are turned over to an expert operator or inspector to determine how many wrappers can be cut from each stripped leaf. It is his duty to determine this by inspection and to place the leaves selected in a pile, or pad, which is supposed to be capable of producing usually fifty wrappers. These pads of wrappers are then turned over to the cigar maker and he is supposed always to produce fifty cigars from each pad furnished to him.

The operator frequently makes mistakes in his count while inspecting the leaves. For instance, he will examine three leaves in succession, each one of which contains material for two wrappers, then a leaf which contains one wrapper, then two more which contain none at all, then one out of which three can be cut, then another out of which one can be cut, and so on. He attempts to keep a mental count of the wrappers, but the mental act of inspecting the leaves re.- quires attention of one kind while that of determining the number of wrappers avails able requires attention of another kind, and the succession of numbers being wholly irregular, mistakes are frequent and the pads of wrappers often have to be recounted.

The purpose of my invention is to pro? vide means by which the inspector of the leaves is permitted to devote his entire atT tention to the business of inspection and selection and is entirely relieved from the duty of keeping tally or count of the number of available wrappers.

In brief, the invention consists of a platform or other suitable support upon which the leaves are placed for inspection and which platform is yieldingly supported by means of mechanism which when the platform is gently depressed will actuate a reg- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 26, 19 12.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Serial No. 679,322.

ister which, in turn, will mechanically count the number of depressions of the platform and signal the inspector when a predetermined number has been registered.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a miniature perspective view of one form of device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear view of a portion of the register; Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the lever frame; Fig. i is a central vertical section of the platform, lever system and connections on the plane of the line H in Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the device with a part of the inspecting platform removed; and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the lever system in a dilferent position.

In the drawings, 10 is a block or saddle made of wood or other suitable material. Its form and construction are quite immaterial but this is a form of block usual in the art.

At any suitable place at the top of the block is arranged a lever frame 11 open at its top and consisting of a bottom 110 which, in the construction shown, is of two pieces, and two side members 111 and 112 which are expanded at one end to engage the sides of a smaller lever frame 12 made also open at its top and consisting of a bottom 120 and two side pieces 121 and 122.

Pivoted within the lever frame 11 is a lever system comprising two levers 13 and 14, the latter being normally under tension of a spring 15 to press it upward. Pivoted within the frame 12 is a second lever system comprising two levers 16 and 17, the latter having a tip 170 projecting beyond the frame 12.

A platform 20 of suitable material rests uponthe lever frame. It is provided with a pin 21 adapted to engage a recess in the lever 13 and it rests also upon a detent 18 at the side .of the block 10.

30 indicates a counter .of ordinary construction. Its actuating lever is indicated at 31, its dial at 32 and its gong at 33 and gong hammer at as. The details of its construction are immaterial. Such mechanisms may be bought in the open market, each moved by the intermittent actuation of a lever like to lever 31 and each moving apointer over a dial like 32, and each adapted to give a suitable signal as by lifting a hammer 34 to strike a gong 33 and each provided with devices to indicate totals and by which the pointer may be reset to zero.

In using the device, the operator places the tobacco .leaf to be inspected on top of the platform 20. If he sees that no wrappers can be cutfrom that leaf, he removes it and lays it aside. If he concludes that one wrapper can be cut from it, he gently presses down upon the platform once and puts the leaf into the pile or pad of leaves, allowing them to remain on the platform until the pile or pad of leaves contains a sufficient number to be removed to the cigar maker. If he concludes that two wrappers can be cut from it, he gently presses down upon the platform twice and then piles the leaf. In each case after inspection, he presses down upon the platform as many times as he thinks wrappers can be cut from that leaf.

When the platform is depressed, the levers 13 and 14.- are tilted from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 6, and the lever 14: is retracted to position by spring 15 restoring the platform 20 to its initial position.

Each depression of the platform moves the tip 170 of the lever 17 against the actuating lever 81 of the counter and the latter consequently registers one stroke. When 50 strokes have then been registered, the gong is struck by the hammer and the workman being thus warned, knows that his pad of wrappers is completed.

hen the lever frame 11 is placed in the position shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, its side members 111 and 112 engage the side members of the lever frame 12. They are secured together by a pin 40 passing through suitable apertures in the side members. By this means the lever frame 11 may with the platform 20 be entirely removed from the device and the block 10 used as an ordinary block. When this is done if any counting is desired to be done, it can be accomplished by pressing down upon the lever 16, just as the lever 14 did when the frame 11 was in position.

I claim- 1. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a curved saddle-inspection block, of a depressible platform located thereover and curved on a radius shorter than that of the saddle, the edges of the platform resting on the saddle and the intermediate portion being spaced therefrom, a register, and operating means for the register located in the space between the saddle and the platform and actuated by the platform upon its depression.

2. In apparatus of the character set forth,

the combination with a support, of a register mounted thereon, an actuating device for the register, a depressible platform removably located over the support, a 1nounting removably mounted on the support, and operating means carried by the mounting and detachably engaged with the actuating device of the register, said operating. means being actuated by the platform when the latter is depressed and being removable in assembled condition from the support and register when the platform is removed.

3. In apparatus of the character set fort-h, the combination with a support, of a register mounted thereon, an actuating device for the register, a depressible platformlremovably located over the support, a lever mounting removably mounted on the support beneath the platform, and operating levers fulcrumed on the support and engaged with the platform, said levers being actuated by the depression of the platform, and one of the same being detachably engaged with the actuating device ofthe register, the levers and mounting being removable in assembled condition from the support when the platform is removed.

AL. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a saddle-inspection block, of a register mounted on the rear end of the same, an actuating lever for the register, a curved depressible platform removably mounted over the saddle block, a channeled lever mounting removably mounted on the saddle block beneath the platform, 1

levers fulcrumed in the channeled mounting, the inner ends of the lovers being en gaged with each other, the outer ends engaging the platform, and one of said levers being det-achably engaged with the actuating lever of the register, said levers and. mounting being removable in assembled condition from the saddle block when the platform is removed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID STRASSER.

Witnesses E. V. SOHERR, J12, ALAN C. MODONNELL.

, Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Tatents,

Washington, D. C. 

